Why Are There So Few Agnostics?
An article asks the question: Why Are There So Few Agnostics?
For the record: based on the lack of conclusive evidence either way, agnostics claim to simply not know if there’s a God. Atheists flat-out say there isn’t a God. Okay, so why aren’t there more agnostics? Without question agnosticism is the most logical position to take relative to the question of God.
I also believe agnosticism to be the most logical position and this is why I cling to this particular label for myself. Why don’t most people gravitate towards this same view? I think part of it is because there are so few evangelical agnostics that spread this very honest idea that we have no clue about such things. The article believes it has to do with the idea itself.
The reason is because the core truth of agnosticism is in direct contradiction to the core truths of the Actual Life lived by everyone in the world. Agnosticism and reality go together like wax fruit and a hearty appetite. Agnosticism is all about doubt, about being uncertain about what it is, ultimately, that rules or determines life. But the things that actually do rule and determine everyone’s life couldn’t possibly be more certain or clear. Take death, for instance. Talk about a firm, concrete reality. Death is as definite as it gets. As is being sick. As is being pregnant. As is having rickets.
Family. Stress. Joy. Taxes. Hunger. Getting evicted. Falling in love. Losing your job. Getting cut off on the freeway. Tripping on the sidewalk. A dog attacking your ankles. All of our lives are utterly dominated by real, physical, unavoidable, universal facts and truths.
It’s all very real stuff. Real stuff brings up real questions. And real questions need real answers.
Agnosticism is a very real and honest answer to very real and important questions for many people. It’s that Actual Life that leads so many to jump to a conclusion, any conclusion, so they can believe they have an answer. Just because we desire fact and truth doesn’t mean we’re capable of getting it or understanding it. I believe such things are beyond us.
“I don’t know” isn’t an answer people can use. It doesn’t help them with anything.
Agnosticism = Ambiguity.
Actual, Physical Life = The ultimate in unambiguous.
Bad match.
Agnosticism = Honesty.
Actual, Physical Life = Begs for simple and structured answers, but creation and first cause are outside of our physical lives so why try to impose the rules of the physical universe on them?
“I don’t know” is an answer I use every day. It helps put me in my place. I am a person on this planet of this universe. I am part of this human family and society. I must function within the universe I know. People that are pretending to know anything about gods or a lack of god do not really know and I know this as a fact. It is my agnosticism that gives me the right vantage point for dealing with such beliefs and how I should view them. I reject the mystical notions that people know God and what their God says I should do. I also acknowledge with great wonder and awe the mystery of the universe and our existence. I believe I am smart enough to know the limits of my knowledge and am happy to live within those limits.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
I don’t think agnosticism is very honest… it is a cop out from direct question. You either believe in go (creator) or not. I don’t know if there is god either, but I don’t believe there is god. Simple.
February 8th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
P.S. for me, to have knowledge I need to have evidence of such evidence. No evidence, no belief. For expamle, are you agnostic to pixies and fairies ? When it comes to such stupid concepts, I just say I don’t believe. If you gave me an evidence, I would believe maybe.
February 9th, 2009 at 12:15 am
AustralianPete
February 10th, 2009 at 8:27 am
I don’t believe in "God" as most people call their creator. However, I do not know enough to say there is no such thing as a creator at all. I am certain you wouldn’t take some human-like person concept, give them amazing powers, call them a god, and then have that as the image of our creator. I don’t believe we were made in our creator’s image if there is one. I would imagine a creator that exists outside of this universe would be absolutely nothing like us and we would be unable to understand such a thing and its motivation for creation of this universe if there was one.
It’s thoughts like this that make me Agnostic. In regards to gods as defined by my fellow humans, I am most definitely an atheist. Christians are athiests in regards to Zeus, so this use of the athiest label isn’t my overall viewpoint. In regards to the whole concept of creation, I am Agnostic. I can’t say with certainty that this universe exists without a single bit of intelligence or reason. I’m just not smart enough to know that as a fact.
March 3rd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I totally agree with Jeff. My idea of God is not the same as anyone else’s. That’s why I don’t have a defined religion.
March 6th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I call myself an atheist because I have no belief in god. However, I could clarify that by saying I am an agnostic atheist because there is insufficient evidence to *prove* my assertion.
If you just call yourself agnostic, it sounds like you are putting the existence of god at 50/50 – that the probability for versus against god’s existence is the same.
For me, agnosticism is just not accurate. I *lean* (very strongly) toward non-belief.
Agnosticism is nice and un-confrontational but, to me anyway, it’s also very wishy-washy.
"Dr. Jones, it’s time to ask yourself what you <em>believe</em>."
March 8th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
40 year old atheist, you haven’t read much of this blog or the writings of Huxley. Agnosticism doesn’t put the odds of the Christian god, any other god, or an unknown creator as 50/50. Agnosticism is very accurate in that it admits in what we have no clue about and isn’t simply the position that religion may or may not be true.
I don’t have the answers and you don’t either. I don’t think in a wishy-washy way about religion. I admit that I can’t dismiss the creator concept completely even though I’ve been able to personally reject all defined religions I’ve come across.
March 11th, 2009 at 1:20 am
I’m agnostic because I think it’s just downright arrogant and a little stupid to believe the existence or nonexistence of a god or divine consciousness or whatever. Humans are like animals on the side of the highway, not even capable of comprehending the cars rushing by. It is intellectually faulty to believe that we can know -anything- with certainty.
I’m beginning to wrestle with this on my own blog, esp. this post:
http://www.makotokan.org/20…
I’ll be expanding on this over the next few weeks.
To me, agnosticism is a – gnosticism – the opposite of gnosticism. It’s the rejection of the idea that we can know anything. When you start from this position, you are less likely to fall prey to preconceptions and wishful thinking.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
I tried posting last night but it never showed up, so I’m taking another shot.
I take exception to the claim that agnosticism is "wishy washy"
True, rigorous agnosticism (a-gnostic, the philosophy that knowing is impossible) is the best way to approach ethical and metaphysical questions. It’s only wishy washy if you let it be. Religious people are wishy washy too, using whichever verse in the bible suits their particular beliefs:
http://www.makotokan.org/20…
I’ll repost what I wrote over at John Shore’s blog on this topic:
John – Agnosticism is, as you say, the most logical position to take on the existence of God. But I’d also argue that it’s the most ethical as well. When you don’t claim to know ultimate reality, it puts you on a different footing. Yes, it’s hard to answer the questions of life with “I don’t know”, but it’s intellectually and ethically faulty to pretend that you do know when you don’t.
Agnosticism, to be an effective life philosophy, just requires more rigor than most people are willing or able to exercise. There are so few agnostics because we are all too busy or not thoughtful enough or too stupid or lazy to be otherwise.
Ken – I’m a philosophical agnostic. It’s true – you can’t know anything with certainty. But you can figure out what is “most true”. Agnosticism is the most scientific philosophy. Scientists accept that they might have to throw a theory out if a new, better theory comes along (or at least, they should). That doesn’t stop them from doing very impressive things with their current theories. Newtons laws are still valid, even though the theory of relativity changed the way we understand physics.
March 15th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Why are not more people agnostic is explained by several reasons.
First, there is the social pressure to join and stay in a religion. How many people show up at church because of belief or for social reasons?
Second, people can and do have experiences that reinforce their faith. Personally I had some ‘spiritual experiences’ which looking back I realize did not prove the theological structure. This part of religion is often denied by atheists. Some like Sam Harris accept it.
Third, religion uses peoples attraction to superstition. Whether this attraction is due to genetic, educational, social reasons. I think if we are honest we all have had irrational thoughts, such as hearing a noise in the dark. The mind has evolved pretty far but does not work on pure logic, if it did there would be no religion. Sorry to say but a lot of religions that are thriving are the most superstitious and ‘ignorant’.
Fourth, religion is allied with nationalistic, racial, ethnic etc causes and as such gets that level of support from those authorities.
Fifth, religion satisfies a need for self identification.
Sixth, religion satisfies a need for a purpose which people seem to have, see Peter Berger’s Sacred Canopy.
Seventh, religion of uses people desire for superiority. Even a poor person can have the comfort of being the elect. Religions such as Jehovahs Witnesses give regular members the joy of knowing the ‘true’ name of God that even the theologians do not know.
Lastly, to state the obvious, religion started with the dominant monopoly position and still has some unfair competitive advantages
As an agnostic I wish there were more than 15% agnostics. But I suspect that there is nowhere near 85% true believers.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:05 am
Valuable thoughts and advices. I read your topic with great interest.